No. 17 Stanford baseball (24-9, 10-5 Pac-12) won its weekend series against USC (19-19, 7-11 Pac-12), though it failed to secure the sweep for the seventh consecutive weekend. Solid pitching from both teams precluded the home run fest that was anticipated from the matchup, and Sunday’s game remained scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning.
Friday’s game kicked off with a leadoff double from freshman second baseman Tommy Troy, but the game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth, when senior right fielder Christian Robinson scored on a throwing error by the Trojans’ center fielder. Junior designated hitter Vincent Martinez then singled to left field and advanced to second when senior first baseman Nick Brueser drew a walk, but the two ended up stranded on the base paths.
Momentum started to shift in the bottom of the fifth, when USC freshman Garret Guillemette singled up the middle, which was followed by a single from freshman center fielder Tyresse Turner through the left side. A double from freshman left fielder Rhylan Thomas drove both of those runners home, giving the Trojans a 2-1 lead. The Cardinal tied up the score in the top of the sixth, when freshman third baseman Drew Bowser doubled down the left-field line and Martinez singled to left field to drive Bowser home. The 2-2 tie held fast, and the game went into extra innings. Brought in to pinch hit for sophomore catcher Kody Huff was sophomore Brett Barrera, who hit a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw, making the difference in Stanford’s 5-2 game one victory.
The Trojans led early in Saturday’s game, scoring a run in both the first and second innings. The Cardinal responded with two runs of their own: a solo homer from Brueser in the third inning and a run driven in by Martinez in the fourth. A couple innings of scoreless play ensued until Martinez hit his seventh homer of the year in the seventh inning, giving the Cardinal a 3-2 lead that they would hold onto for the remainder of the game.
Sunday’s game was largely scoreless: it was not until the bottom of the seventh inning that the Trojans managed their first run — a solo homer from sophomore first baseman Clay Owens. The Cardinal responded with a solo homer of their own from senior second baseman Tim Tawa. However, despite multiple pitching changes in the bottom of the eighth, the Cardinal ultimately were not able to stop USC senior Tyler Pritchard from scoring the go-ahead run, cementing the 2-1 Cardinal loss.
The Cardinal will look to sweep their next series as they host No. 18 Arizona (30-11, 15-6 Pac-12) next weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PT on Friday at Sunken Diamond.